<a href="https://www.united.com/en/us">United Airlines</a> celebrates five years of operations in South Africa. The first service was a nonstop flight between New York/Newark and Cape Town on December 16, 2019. Since the launch of this route until today, the airline has transported 345,000 customers and 2,000 tons of cargo on more than 1,500 flights between Cape Town and its hubs in Newark and Washington-Dulles.
Currently, services between Newark and Cape Town are operated using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with 257 seats: 48 in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy, 39 in Economy Plus, and 149 in Economy. Additionally, United implemented a codeshare agreement with Airlink to access more regional destinations in South Africa and southern Africa.
«We are proud to commemorate the fifth anniversary of our service from Cape Town to New York Newark,” said Amit Badiani, Head of Offline Sales for Africa, United Airlines. «Cape Town has become a globally popular tourist destination, with a growing number of visitors from North America. Passenger numbers have increased since the route’s launch, enabling United to expand frequencies to the African city. United initially launched this route in December 2019 as a seasonal summer service but expanded it to year-round service in 2021,” he added.
United continued expanding its route network in South Africa with the addition of year-round flights from Newark to Johannesburg in 2021 and a service between Washington-Dulles and Cape Town in 2022. In total, the U.S. airline offers 13 weekly flights between the United States and South Africa.
United Airlines has also expanded its offerings on the African continent with the introduction of services from Washington-Dulles to Accra in Ghana and Lagos in Nigeria, as well as from Newark to Marrakech in Morocco. Starting in May 2025, it will launch a route between Washington-Dulles and Dakar in Senegal.

Five Years of United Airlines in South Africa: Cape Town and Johannesburg Connections

South African Airways (SAA) reported positive financial performance for the 2022/23 fiscal year, marking the first time since 2012 that the airline has recorded profits. As presented during the Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at Airways Park, the airline achieved a net profit of 252 million South African rands (~USD 14 million) and registered a revenue increase of 183%, reaching R5.7 billion, compared to R2 billion in the previous fiscal year.
The 2022/23 fiscal period represents the first full year of commercial operations since SAA exited the business rescue process and resumed activities in September 2021. According to the company, this achievement is notable within a global context marked by post-Covid recovery, high fuel prices, and macroeconomic challenges such as elevated interest rates and the war in Ukraine.
SAA turned a negative EBITDA of R1.0 billion in the prior year into a positive EBITDA of R277 million in 2022/23. The company also highlighted improvements in its financial balance sheet, reporting a positive net equity of R4.7 billion, a significant change after years of negative equity. Additionally, the final payment of legacy debts was made during the year, leaving the airline without interest-bearing debt obligations.
<h4>Operations and route expansion03</h4>
SAA operated between 6 and 8 aircraft during the period, serving up to 9 destinations. Since then, the company has doubled its fleet and expanded its routes to 16, including new destinations such as Perth, Australia, and a second point in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lubumbashi. According to the airline, frequencies were also increased to Harare, Lusaka, Lagos, Accra, Mauritius, Kinshasa, and Perth.
In October 2023, SAA<a href="https://aviacionline.com/2023/11/south-african-airways-retomo-sus-vuelos-entre-johannesburgo-y-san-pablo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> launched its first intercontinental route since restructuring, connecting Johannesburg with São Paulo, Brazil</a>. For the 2025/26 fiscal year, the arrival of seven additional aircraft is expected as part of its fleet expansion plan.
According to SAA, the number of employees has grown from 800 to 2,000 in recent years, including 140 pilots. The airline also emphasized that its subsidiaries, Air Chefs and SAA Technical, have significantly contributed to employment in the sector.
Interim SAA CEO John Lamola stated that “these landmark results for the 2022/23 fiscal year reflect the hard and careful work invested in the relaunch of SAA as a reliable airline and a globally admired brand. This has positioned SAA on the path to financial sustainability without reliance on the public treasury”
Lamola added that “we have now entered a period of consolidating our route network and fleet strategy, looking forward to the next phase of significant growth with fleet renewal, the opening of more intercontinental routes, and progress on our environmental sustainability goals”

South African Airways Doubles Fleet and Expands Routes Following Restructuring

French and South African investigators are analyzing an in-flight incident that occurred on October 27, involving a South African Airways (SAA) Airbus A330-300, which experienced attitude oscillations during the cruise phase of a domestic flight between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The aircraft, registered as ZS-SXJ, was cruising at an altitude of 41,000 feet (FL410) when it began oscillating between “nose-up” and “nose-down” movements. According to the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) of France, these movements gradually increased in intensity.
The co-pilot, who was in control, noticed that the speed trend vector increased by approximately 40 knots, entering the maximum speed protection range (overspeed). To avoid an overspeed event, the autopilot was disengaged, and the aircraft was manually controlled to reduce the pitch to about 1.5-2 degrees, which stopped the acceleration.
However, shortly afterward, the trend vector indicated the opposite variation, with a reduction of 40-50 knots toward the angle of attack protection range (Vls/Vprot).
The flight continued to its destination, OR Tambo International Airport (FAOR), where it landed safely. However, four occupants of the aircraft sustained minor injuries during the event.
The investigation is being led by South African authorities, with support from the BEA. Investigators aim to determine the exact causes of these attitude oscillations, which could include technical factors, environmental influences, or control system errors.
<h4>Significance of the investigation</h4>
This type of analysis is crucial to understanding the underlying factors that may have contributed to the flight&#8217;s instability. Additionally, it will enable the implementation of corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The aircraft involved, an Airbus A330-300, is frequently used for long-haul flights and has proven to be reliable, making this event unusual and warranting thorough investigation.

Airbus A330 Incident: South African Airways Flight’s Turbulent Cruise Phase Explained

LATAM Group announced the activation of ticket sales to South Africa through its «unilateral» codeshare agreement with <a href="https://aviacionline.com/2023/05/latam-acuerda-un-codigo-interlineal-con-airlink/">Airlink, signed in 2023</a>, following the resumption of it&#8217;s flights between São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU) and Johannesburg (JNB) in September last year.
According to a communication sent to <a href="https://www.latamtrade.com/es_cl/comunicados/CODESHARE_Nuevo_acuerdo_codeshare_unilateral_entre_LATAM_LA_y_Airlink_4Z_SP">travel agents</a>, Airlink will not sell LATAM flights under this agreement. Instead, LATAM will be able to sell domestic flights operated by Airlink. Furthermore, tickets from any point in LATAM’s network to any destination in the South African airline’s network will be available for purchase through LATAM’s website.
Initially, LATAM is offering flights to Cape Town (CPT), Durban (DUR), Hoedspruit (HDS), and Port Elizabeth (PLZ) from Johannesburg (JNB) operated by Airlink, covering South Africa’s main destinations.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-345130" src="http://aviacionline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Flightmap-GRU-JNB-CPT-DUR-JNB-HDS_PLZ-JNB.png" alt="" width="1200" height="600" srcset="https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2024/11/Flightmap-GRU-JNB-CPT-DUR-JNB-HDS_PLZ-JNB.png 1200w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2024/11/Flightmap-GRU-JNB-CPT-DUR-JNB-HDS_PLZ-JNB-300x150.png 300w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2024/11/Flightmap-GRU-JNB-CPT-DUR-JNB-HDS_PLZ-JNB-768x384.png 768w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2024/11/Flightmap-GRU-JNB-CPT-DUR-JNB-HDS_PLZ-JNB-150x75.png 150w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />
The South American airline connects São Paulo and Johannesburg with four weekly flights on Boeing 787-9 aircraft, offering 2,384 seats. According to ANAC Brazil, between January and September 2024, the airline transported 58,268 passengers, with a load factor of 83%.
LATAM is one of the few airlines linking South America and Africa, which is why most traffic between these regions is routed through Europe or the Middle East.
Brazil serves as the main gateway to Africa, offering these connections:
<ul>
<li>Ethiopian Airlines operates a daily flight between São Paulo and Addis Ababa (ADD), Ethiopia, using Boeing 777-200 (LR) aircraft. The flight continues to Buenos Aires.</li>
<li>Royal Air Maroc operates three weekly flights between São Paulo and Casablanca (CMN), Morocco, on Boeing 787-8 aircraft.</li>
<li>TAAG Angola Airlines operates six weekly flights between São Paulo and Luanda using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.</li>
<li>South African Airways operates two weekly flights from Cape Town (CPT) and Johannesburg (JNB) using Airbus A330-300 aircraft.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Airlink strengthens in South Africa after South African Airways crisis</h4>
After declaring bankruptcy in 2019, following years of unprofitability since 2011, South African Airways was forced to reduce its fleet and route network by 95%. This left the airline with a limited fleet of 9 Airbus A320s, 2 A330-300s, 2 A340-300s, and 2 Boeing 737-800s.
This situation allowed Airlink, one of the best-positioned airlines in the South African market, to capitalize and replace South African Airways in much of the domestic market.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-55959" src="http://aviacionline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190.jpg" alt="" width="1140" height="556" srcset="https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190.jpg 1140w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-300x146.jpg 300w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-1024x499.jpg 1024w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-768x375.jpg 768w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-696x339.jpg 696w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-1068x521.jpg 1068w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-861x420.jpg 861w, https://aviacionlinecdn.eleco.com.ar/media/2020/10/Airlink_embraer190-533x261.jpg 533w" sizes="(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px" />
Airlink, which had operated as a South African Airways franchise since 1997, has also signed several interline and codeshare agreements with airlines such as Emirates, Kenya Airways, British Airways, Qatar Airways, and United Airlines.
Additionally, Airlink has expanded its fleet over the past four years, adding 17 E190s to reach a total of 29 aircraft, along with its first four Embraer 195s. It also operates 17 ERJ 135s and 11 ERJ 145s.
Its network includes 17 domestic destinations and 28 international ones, covering countries such as Angola (Luanda); Botswana (Gaborone, Kasane, and Maun); Eswatini (Manzini); Kenya (Nairobi); Lesotho (Maseru); Madagascar (Antananarivo and Nosy-Be); Malawi (Blantyre and Lilongwe); Mozambique (Beira, Maputo, Nampula, Pemba, Tete, and Vilankulus); Namibia (Windhoek and Walvis Bay); Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa and Lumbumbashi); Tanzania (Dar es Salaam); Zambia (Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Lusaka, and Ndola); and Zimbabwe (Bulawayo and Harare).

South America to Africa: LATAM’s Growing Network and Airlink Partnership

GOL Linhas Aéreas and South African Airways (SAA) have officially renewed their codeshare agreement. This partnership, paused due to the pandemic, is now back in effect, providing passengers with enhanced connectivity and travel options between Brazil and South Africa.
As of today, travelers flying between São Paulo/Guarulhos (GRU) and major South African cities such as Cape Town (CPT) and Johannesburg (JNB) will benefit from seamless travel and improved flight connections. The codeshare agreement also extends to domestic routes within South Africa, including flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban (DUR), and Port Elizabeth (PLZ).
This collaborative effort not only reinstates the pre-pandemic connectivity but also aims to expand it. Both airlines will gradually add more destinations within South America and Africa under this enhanced agreement. This expansion will provide passengers with increased choices and flexibility, making it easier to plan multi-city itineraries on a single ticket.
In addition to easier travel arrangements, passengers of GOL’s loyalty program, Smiles, can now earn and use miles on flights to over 16 destinations operated by SAA. This integration offers tangible benefits such as combined mileage accrual and redemption options across a broader network of destinations.
GOL’s extensive network within Brazil, coupled with SAA’s routes in Africa, positions this partnership as a strategic move to strengthen the ties between the two continents and boost local economies by enhancing business opportunities and tourism.

GOL and South African Airways Boost Brazil-South Africa Travel with Renewed Partnership

At 17:26 (local time) on October 31st, the Airbus A330-300 with registration ZS-SXM landed at Guarulhos International Airport, signifying the return of South African Airways to São Paulo, Brazil after a nearly four-year hiatus.
The flight originated from Cape Town (CPT), a new destination for Guarulhos, and will operate twice a week. On November 6th, <a href="http://aviacionline.com/2023/06/south-african-airways-regresa-a-sudamerica-con-vuelos-desde-johannesburgo-y-ciudad-del-cabo/">South African Airways will resume its flights between Johannesburg/OR Tambo (JNB) and São Paulo</a>, also twice a week using their Airbus A330-300.
The airline had not operated in South America since March 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent internal crises that halted all its operations. This will be the airline&#8217;s first intercontinental route since its return to the skies in September 2021, after the South African government sold 51% of its stake to the Takatso Consortium.
See Also: <a href="http://aviacionline.com/2023/08/south-african-airways-anuncia-su-regreso-a-brasil-cambia-el-airbus-a340-por-el-a330-300/">South African Airways to Fly A330-300 in Brazil</a>
<h2>South African&#8217;s Flight Schedule to Cape Town</h2>
Flights to Cape Town will be operated on Airbus A330-300 aircraft, accommodating 249 passengers, with 46 seats in business class and 203 in economy, offering a total of 996 seats per week.
<ul>
<li>Cape Town – São Paulo flight SA 226 CPT 12:55 – 16:35 GRU / Tuesdays and Saturdays.</li>
<li>São Paulo – Cape Town flight SA 227 GRU 18:05 – 06:40 (+1) CPT / Tuesdays and Saturdays.</li>
</ul>
<figure id="attachment_221399" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-221399" style="width: 1014px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-221399 size-full" src="http://aviacionline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1698758858701.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="582" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-221399" class="wp-caption-text">Photo: Wesgro</figcaption></figure>
Varig was the last airline to connect both cities in 1999. According to Cape Town&#8217;s tourism office (Wesgro), São Paulo was identified as the largest underserved market for the coastal city. In 2019, 43,000 round-trip passengers were recorded between the two regions.
The last airline to operate from Cape Town to South America was Malaysia Airlines, which flew a Boeing 747-400 twice a week to Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE), a route that lasted until January 2012.
For Guarulhos, it&#8217;s the fifth connection with Africa following EgyptAir (Cairo), Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa), LATAM (Johannesburg), TAAG Angola Airlines (Luanda), and now, South African Airways (Cape Town and Johannesburg).
See Also: <a href="http://aviacionline.com/2023/09/tbt-los-vuelos-de-south-african-airways-a-argentina-y-brasil-en-1999/">#TBT: South African Airways Flights to Argentina and Brazil in 1999</a>
<h2>SAA&#8217;s Dual-Hub New Strategic Plan  </h2>
<a href="https://www.flysaa.com/">South African Airways (SAA)</a> plans to shift its international operations strategy. The airline aims to establish a dual hub model offering long-haul services from Johannesburg (JNB) and Cape Town (CPT), its gateways for intercontinental flights. Before the pandemic, all operations were centered at OR Tambo Airport (JNB).
«Cape Town has significantly developed as a secondary hub in Southern Africa, and for us, it no longer makes sense to continue with our previous rescue plan. Our strategy also includes establishing hubs in the north of our home,» said Tebogo Tsimane, interim director of SAA in 2022.
Following the airline&#8217;s restructuring and ongoing partial privatization, SAA plans to cautiously re-enter intercontinental markets. The South African airline has a pan-African partnership with Kenya Airways, aiming to expand its international operations.
Among the new routes, it intends to serve Cape Town (CPT) with flights to New York (JFK), USA; São Paulo (GRU), Brazil, and at least one Australian city (Sydney and/or Perth). Meanwhile, from Johannesburg (JNB), it will maintain high-demand destinations from before the pandemic, including New York, Perth, São Paulo, London, and Frankfurt.
Currently, the airline operates with six Airbus A320-200s, two Airbus A330-300s, one Airbus A340-300, and two Boeing 737-800s.

After almost four years, South African Airways resumes flights to Sao Paulo

South African regional carrier Airlink is to add three additional Embraer E195 to its fleet under a lease agreement with AerCap. The first airplane was delivered in March, while the remaining two are scheduled for delivery in July.
The first of the aircraft was manufactured in 2007 and delivered to Royal Jordanian. It subsequently joined the fleets of BoraJet and Ukraine International Airlines.
See also: <a href="http://aviacionline.com/2022/06/emirates-and-airlink-launch-their-codeshare-partnership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emirates and Airlink launch their codeshare partnership</a>
<h3>Airlink to add another three Embraer E195</h3>
«We are very pleased to welcome Airlink as a new customer to AerCap with the lease of three E195 aircraft», commented Peter Anderson, AerCap&#8217;s CCO. «We wish all the team at Airlink every success and look forward to working with them for many years to come», he added.
«Airlink is on a steady growth path, expanding its network, schedule and market share», noted Rodger Foster, the airline&#8217;s CEO and Managing Director. «With AerCap&#8217;s support on these leases, we will be able to maintain this upward trajectory», he said.
Currently, the majority of the airline&#8217;s fleet is made up of Embraer E135, E140, E170, E190 and E195 aircraft. As our partner media Aeroin points out, the latter two are used to operate the challenging flights to the island of Saint Helena, located more than 1.800 kilometres off the coast of Africa in the middle of the South Atlantic.
«The efficiencies derived from continuity across our fleet will help us contain costs and continue providing great value and affordable air travel to our customers», Foster said in this regard.
See also: <a href="http://aviacionline.com/2023/02/south-africa-british-airways-and-airlink-begin-codeshare-agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Africa: British Airways and Airlink begin codeshare agreement</a>

South African